Shoe upper lacing machine



Aug. 28, 1945; J. FossA SHOE UPPER LACING-' MACHINE Filei July 25, 1941 l5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 V i @k qmN m Aug. 128, 1945}- .1. FossA SHOE UPPER LACINGJVIACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 2 xvi a J v vm wmm no w/W r Filed July 23, 1941 wwm mm wWN mwm Wz'iziem J. FOSSA SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1941 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 wmw mww Maw 'ijj f 'I" JTLU enter Aug. 28, 1945. T J. FossA SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Filed July 25, 1941 15 Sheets-Shet s' v vi NM vs \Nsm Y wfiww m Nam =7 w I} 7 .wq. mm x mm f km m mm mm M m3 g Nmw WM WRN Aug. 28, 1945. J, F SSA 2,383538 SHOE UPBER LACING MACHINE I Filed July 25, 1941 I 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 146' 148 FL .18 130 2E130,

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' Aug. 28. 1945.. J FQSSA 2,383,538

SHOE UPPER LACING IEIACHINE Filed July 25. 1941 15 Sheets-Sheet 8 F1 22 8 v 17a 10 170 v \188 Aug. 28, ss V SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE I Filed July 23, 1941 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 NR k 3x 0N Nwm mm f, 0 ma mm mm NR wm NF www 8% W o t n w ,m

vi @m um 1 Aug. 28; 1945. J. FOSSA' SHOE PPER LACING MACHZ-[NE 15 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed July 23, 1941 3M 3 PIN Nm 3m my mmm 4 Filed July 23. 1941 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 Inventor FML Witness Aug. 28, 1945. l F s 2,383,538

SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1941 15 Sheets-Sheet l3 Aug. 28,1945. J oss SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1941 15 Sheets-Sheet 14 mmmmiw E85 x m Emmi E; 5 4

w m 9 3 Emmiw Wit 3 w m8 Nw msfi mmaw mamas Au 28, 1945. I J. FOSSA 2,383,538

SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Filed July 23, 1941 .15 SheetsSheet l5 Fig. 50

Inventor I a fi/zz Wzitnesy p Patented Aug. 28, 1945 SHOE UPPER LACING MACHINE Joseph Fossa, Lynn, Mass, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation,

Flemington,

N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July 23, 1941, Serial No. 403,675

- 43 Claims, (aria-69.5)

The present invention relates to shoe upper lacing machines, and the particular machine em-- bodying the invention includes mechanisms for inserting in an eyeletted shoe upper a shoe lace of such a character and in such a manner that it can be utilized as a lasting lacing during the lasting and other shoe making operations and can be allowed to remain permanently in place as a dress lacing for use in the actual wear of the shoe.

Heretofore, lasting lacings composed of inexpensive loose twisted cord have beenapplied usually by inserting loops of cord in registering eyelets of a folded shoe upper, which loops wereinterlocked with each other, the ends of cord being tied or left unsecured except by drawing them through the final loops of the completed lacings. Lasting lacings of this nature are generally applied to an upper by machine, such as disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent of the present inventor No. 2,327,345 of August 24, 1943, the lacings inserted by this machine being removed before the shoe is completelymanufactured and before the last is removed from the shoe so that there is no necessity for taking special precautions to insure a good appearance or durability in the lacings. The usual practice before placing a finished shoe on sale, is to insert a dress type of lace of the customary form in one of the eyelets of the upper or merely to place a pair of dress laces in the retail container with the shoes, relying upon the retail sales merchant to insert the laces in the eyelets when'the shoes are being fitted to the customer.

Dress laces for shoes customarily consist of lengths of flat or round woven textile material,

the free ends of which lengths are tipped permanently with ferrules giving them sufficient rigidity and tenuity to facilitate handinsertion in the eyelets of an upper without the use of a needle or other eyelet entering device. Other forms of dress laces have tips of plastic material solidified after being compressed, or laces may be employed, the tips of which are rigid due to the nature of the material from which the laces are composed. The'tips of dress laces may thus be grasped and inserted or withdrawn from eyelets conveniently.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a machine for lacing shoe uppers with the customary form of dress shoe lace so that this type of lace may be inserted during manufacture of a shoe by production methods. If a dress lace is inserted before lasting operations are started, the necessity of inserting or removing a special temporary lasting lacing is avoided and effective use may be made of the same lace throughout the various steps of manufacture and sale of the shoe.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lace insertingmachine which will operate without the use of needles, or other eyelet engaging members, to carry the end of a lace through the eyelets of a shoe upper in regular lacing order. A still further object of the invention is to provide a machine for lacing shoe uppers arranged to insert a lace having a form especially efiective for successful lasting operations and which, at the same time, presents an attractive appearance, free of twists or kinks, corresponding to a dress type of lace which is carefully inserted by hand.

Withthese and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates the provision of a shoe upper lacing machine having a support, preferably in the form of a clamp, for a shoe upper and lace inserting members acting to carry end first the permanent tip of a single length oflace' successively through eyelets in the upper without the use of a needle. In the present machine, the

tip engaging means comprises members acting at opposite sides of the upper to thread the end of the tip through the eyelets by transferring the tip alternately from one member to another. Thus, the tip end is inserted into an eyelet from one side of the upper and withdrawn from the other side. As hereinafter described, mechanisms are provided for actuating the tip engaging members, which are in the form of grippers designed to transfer a tip withdrawn from an eyelet to another eyelet without releasing the tip from the gripper in which it is held so that there will be no opportunity for the lace to twist or kink. As the lacing operation in the illustrated machine progresses and the withdrawn tip is transferred to a new eyelet, the lace connecte with the tip is bent back on the tip and the tip, together with the bent back lace,is introduced into the new eyelet, thus avoiding the necessity of reversing the tip or changing the position of the tip in the gripper in any way.

As each tip withdrawing movement of the grippersis terminated, the tip being drawn a short distance from the eyelet, the lace stands in a straight line between the gripper and the eyelet. At the other side of the upper, the lace has a slack section which must be taken out in order to make the completed lacing set properly in the upper. Accordingly, another feature of the invention resides in the provision of take-up devices for taking out the slackin a lace between successively laced eyelets after each tip is Withdrawn so that a sufficient length is always available for insertion of the tip in other eyelets.

In the preferred form of the machine, each tip engaging gripper is constructed and arranged to grasp the end of a tip leaving a substantial length of tip exposed so that after the exposed length of tip is projected into an eyelet, another gripper may grasp and withdraw the exposed length of tip from the other side of the upper.

To produce a completed lace which corresponds in appearance to a hand inserted dress lace and which is effective for preventing lengthwise shift of the eyeletted upper edges relatively to each other during lasting operations, the gripper actuating mechanism is arranged to insert the tips of the lace through one eyelet at a'time, the portions of the lacing outside the upper crossing at right angles to the eyeletted edges and in parallel relation to each other. This feature of the invention is embodied in mechanism for shifting the upper clamping means and tip grippers relatively to each other as the lacing operation progresses and in the present form of this feature, the portions of lace at the inside of the upper cross each other in opposite directions between the eyeletted edges of the upper.

When a shoe lace is transferred across the lacing slit between spaced non-registering eyelets in an upper, unless the tip is reversed end for end while being transferred, the lacing will become twisted between the eyelets. If the slack in a flat lace is taken out of the section between the eyelets with the twist remaining, the completed lacing will produce irregular enlargements or kinks inside the upper causing undesirable bulges in the upper when lasting and a neat appearance in the lacing outside the upper will not be obtained. If a round lace is employed, the strength and durability of the completed lacing will be impaired and the appearance marred. In order to prevent formation of twist or kinks in a completed lacing inserted by transferring the tip from one eyelet to another, mechanism is provided in the machine hereinafter described for rotating one of the grippers in which the tip is grasped equally in amount and oppositely in direction to that of the twist introduced in the lace by reason of the transfer between eyelets. Where the lace is bent back on the tip after-being transferred from one eyelet and inserted in another, as outlined above, it is necessary to rotate the gripper receiving the tip only when the tip is inserted in the second eyelet of a pair, the bend in the lace absorbing the twist produced while the tip is being inserted in the other eyelet of the pair. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment of this feature, the twist introduced in the lace, as a result of being transferred from one to another in a series of successive eyelets, is taken out only after being inserted in every second eyelet of the series, since it is possible to bend the lace back on the tip only when inserted in every other eyelet.

In order to hold the slack in the lace taken out after each tip is withdrawn by a gripper in this feature of the invention, a retarding memher is provided acting with each take-up device to prevent displacement of the lace after being drawn through the eyelet and until the lace is inserted and withdrawn from the next succeeding eyelet. The slack may then be withdrawn by the take-up at the opposite side of the upper smoothly and uniformly without any possibility of a-' twist appearing in the completed lace.

While the features of the invention are particularly applicable to a lacing machine having lacing tip grippers arranged to insert and withdraw the tips of a lace in and from the eyelets of an upper without themselves entering the eyelets, certain features of the invention are useful in machines in which lace inserting members do enter the eyelets or in which the laces are inserted by means other than tip engaging grippers. Certain other features relate to a lacing machine in which lacings of any suitable form are inserted in a shoe upper while secured by a clamp in opened out position with the eyelets in separated relation. These and other features of the invention relating to certain details of constructions, combinations and arrangements of parts in the machine, are hereinafter described in the following specification and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view, looking from the right front, of a machine embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, looking from the left of the front; Fig. 3 is a view in right side elevation of a portion of the machine including the main operating cam shaft and the driving clutch, partly broken away, to illustrate the construction; Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the parts illustrated in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of the main driving clutch and actuating mechanism taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view showing the driving clutch in stopping position; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of certain portions of the lacing tip grippers showing their manner of operation, in cooperation with the slack takeups of the ma chine while lacking an upper; Fig. 8 is a view in side elevation, and in section, on an enlarged scale, taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 9, of the lower take-up and one of a pair of cooperating lace retarding members; Fig. 9 is a plan view of the lower takeup, together with the lace retarding members, indicating the extreme positions taken during lacing operations; Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation of the higher take-up, together with its actuating mechanism; Fig. 11 is an en larged sectional view of a portion of the higher take-up mechanism; Fig. 12 is a plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 10; Fig. 13 is'a view in front elevation of that portion of the take-up mechanism illustrated in Fig. 11; Fig. 14 is a view in right side elevation of the under tip engaging grippers and their actuating mechanisms, partly in section; Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of one of the under grippers illustrated in Fig. 14; Fig. 16 is a detail plan View, on an enlarged scale; of a gripper releasing frame; Fig. 1'7 is a view in front elevation, and partly in section, of the gripper releasing frame and its mounting; Fig. 18 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of the gripper supporting arms and carrier, together with the mechanism for actuating the arms towards and from a shoe upper; Fig. 19

is a view in rear elevation of the cam levers for,

right side view ofportions of the same mechanism; Fig; 25,is a plan View of the over grippers with the mechanisms for causing them to grasp and release the lacing tips; Fig. 26 ,is a right side View of the same grippers and mechanisms, parts being broken away and shown insection; Fig. 27 is an enlarged detail plan View of. the lacing tip engaging portions of the right-hand over gripper; Fig. 28 is a sectional view taken'alon the line 2828 of Fig. 27; Fig. 29 is a plan view of the under grippers with the mechanismsfor rotating them to take out the twist in a lace; Fig. 30 is a right side view of the same grippers and mechanisms, parts being broken away and shown in section; Fig. 31 is a detail plan view, on an enlarged scale, of the gripper rotatin parts; Fig. 32 is a plan view of the shoe upper supporting feed slide of the machine with an upper mounted thereon, together with the actuating mechanism for the slide; Fig. 33 is a detail view in left side.

elevation, and partly in section, of the feed slide and actuating mechanism; Fig. 34 is a sectional view taken along the line 34-34 of Fig. 32; Fig. 35 is a leftside view, partly in section, of the shoe upper clamp shown in Fig. 33, with the i clamp in upper releasing position; Fig. 36 is a perspective view of a portion of an upper after being laced in the machine, illustrating one manner of fastening the lacing in the upper; Fig. 3'7 is an enlarged view of a lacing inserted by the machine indicating the shoe upper in dotdash lines; Fig. 38 is a detail view in front elevation, as seen from the front of the machine, of the tips of, a shoe lace while being inserted in the first pair of eyelets in a shoe upper; Fig. 39 is a detail view of the shoelace illustrating the position assumed after the tips of the lace have been inserted into and withdrawn. from the first pair of oppositely disposed eyelets in the shoe upper; Fig. 40 is a similar view, illustrating the position of the lace after one of the tips has been transferred from the first pair of eyelets and is being inserted inan eyelet of the second pair in an upper; Fig. 41 is a similar view of the lace after the same tip has been withdrawn from the second eyelet; Fig. 42 is a plan view of the withdrawn tip and lace end shown in Fig. 41; Fig.

43 is a view similar to Fig. 41 illustrating the same tip and lace end after being transferred and inserted in the opposite eyelet of the second pair to be laced; Fig. 44 is a detail view in elevation on an enlarged scale of the inserted tip shown in Fig. 43 after the lace has been released from.

the higher take-up; Fig. 45 is a plan view of the same tip and lace end shown'in Fig. 44; Fig. 46 is a plan view of the same lace end after the tip has been rotated 180?; Fig. 47 is aplan View of the same lace end after the tip has been rotated 360; Fig. 48 is a similar view of the lacing after the inserted tip of Fig. 43 is withdrawn from the second eyelet in the second pair; Fig. 49 is a time chart showing the relation of the move-- ments imparted by the different actuating mechanisms of the machine; Fig. 50 is a detail front view of an upper after being laced by the machine .of the present invention, illustrating the step of tensioning the upper over a last; and Fig. 51 is a similar View of a shoe including the upper being removed from the last in a completed condition, except for minor finishing operations.

The illustrated machine is a shoe upper lacing machine constructed and arranged to insert the 2 in the eyelets l' of a. shoe upper 6 secured in a suitable clamp tobe described more fully hereinafter. The lace consists of a flattened length of flexible woven textile strip material having permanent self-sustaining tips 1 and 9 formed bywrapping the end portions of the lace with a hardened plastic sheath. Each tip thus formed has a single free end, being connected integrally with the flexible portion of the lace'at the other end. The lace is inserted with the upper opened out ready for application to a last, the-portions of the lacing outside the upper being arranged in parallel relationship .crossing the lacing slit at right angles to the eyeletted edges of the upper from an eyelet in one side to the opposite eyelet in the, other side. The portions of lacing inside the upper extending between the eyelets cross each other at an angle approaching depending upon the spacings of the eyelets, and extend between the eyelets of every third pair, across the edges of the upper at an acute angle. Each pair of opposite eyelets are thus connected,

as indicated in Figs. 32 and 37, by parallel portions of lacing extending along the outer surfaces of the upper and opposite eyelets of every third pair are connected with criss-cross portions of lacing extending along the inner surfaces of the upper. The parallelportions of the lacing take up the direct pull which tends to separate the eyeletted edges of the upper when the upper is tensioned over a last.

The tensioning and lasting operation is illustrated in Fig. 50 which shows a lasting gripper and stapling unit I I of a machine similar to that disclosed in U. S. Letters Patent to LawsonNo. 1,999,298 of April 30, 1935, operating to cause the upper to conform with the surfaces of the twopart jointed last I3 on which it is mounted. The inner criss-cross-portions of lacing assist materially in reducing the tendency of the eyeletted edges along the lacing slit to shift lengthwise of each other during the upper tensioning and lasting operations. As a result, the lacing acts in amanner effective to hold the eyeletted edges in proper relationship with a slit of predetermined width while the upper is being applied to a last for the lasting operation with little likelihood of the upper being distorted from proper shape. before completion of the shoe. The end portions of the lacing may be fastened together in any suitable manner, as by tying a knot or by passing the tips a second time through opposite eyelets and carrying the ends inside the upper (Fig. 36), so that they will be held between the tensioned upper and the last during lasting operations. One advantage of this form of fastening is that the spacings between eyelets may be adjusted easily when the upper is applied to the last to allow the lasting operator to regulate the separation of the eyeletted edges and the width of lacing slit according to the conditions met during lasting.

Not only is the lacing effective for holding the eyeletted edges of .the upper with apredetermining separation during lasting operations, but as illustrated, it-corresponds to a common form of hand inserted lacing employed while a completed shoe is being worn. When the completed shoe is ready to be placed on sale, there is provided a usable shoe lace at least of sufficient durability to serve while fitting the shoe to the foot of a prospective wearer.

In order to insert laces in and withdraw them from the eyelets of a shoe upper with reliability, the terminal tips of which have suflicient'rigidity and tenuity to permit projection of the ends ofthe tips without separate support through the eyelets, the machine embodying the invention has two pairs of grippers 8, I and I2, I4 of special construction and mode of operation, as will be more fully described hereinafter, for'engaging the tips and threading them lengthwise through a series of eyelets without requiring the grippers themselves to enter the eyelets, certain of the grippers acting to cause a portion of each lace adjacent to a tip to be bent over against the tip and inserted in an eyelet ahead of the tip. Each pair of grippers 8, l0 and l2, I4 is actuable to grasp and release the tip of a lace, to move towards and from the shoe upper 6 while inserting and withdrawing the tip, to move along the surface of the upper while transferring the tip successively from one. eyelet to another, and the grippers l0 and I4 under the upper are rotatable to take out the twist in the lace produced during the transferring operations so that the resulting lacing will lie fiat both inside and outside the upper.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the shoe upper 6 is illustrated during operation of the machine to insert the tips successively in oppositely disposed eyelets of the opened-up sides of the upper. The tip engaging grippers 8 and 12 over the upper are secured to outwardly extending arms of gripper supporting levers l6 and I8, respectively, each fulcrumed about a horizontal axis on a carrier frame which in turn is rotatable about a vertical axis to swing the grippers at the ends of the levers during the operation of transferring the tips from one eyelet to another.

To draw out the slack after each tip has been withdrawn from an eyelet, there is provided a pair of take-ups and 22, the higher one acting above and the lower under the position of the upper in the machine. In order to avoid twisting or tangling opposite ends of a lace, each take-up is actuated in one direction away from the lacing slit to draw that portion of lace remaining slack throughout eyelets along one eyeletted edge of an upper and in the other direction away from the lacing slit to draw the slack portion of lace through eyelets in the other edge of the upper, thus keeping the two ends of the lace separate and eliminating the necessity of careful timing 'of the motions in the parts. To secure the upper in the machine, an upper clamp 24 (seeFigs. 32, 33 and 34), is secured to an upper support or slide 26 mounted in guideways 28 running forwardly and rearwardly of the machine and arranged to move the upper in a direction parallel to the eyeletted edges of the upper when secured by the clamp. Movement of the grippers parallel to the surface of the upper causes the tips grasped thereby to be transferred from alignment with eyelets in one side of the upper across the lacing slit and into alignment with eyelets in the other side and movement of the slide in the guideway causes the tips to be transferred along the eyeletted edges, according to the planned design of the finished lacing.

To actuate the grippers, take-ups. and slide through their various movements, suitable mechanisms, to be hereinafter described more fully, are provided operated by a main cam shaft 30 having a large peripheral sprocket wheel 3| (see Figs. 1 to 6), surrounded by a driving chain 32 engaging a smal er sprocket wheel 34 mounted one; drive shaft 36. The main cam shaft 30 is supported in bearings 38 and 40 on the frame 42 of the machine and the drive shaft 36 rotates in bearings 44 and also mounted on the frame 42. The

drive shaft 36 is rotated from a, suitable source of power through a chain 48 surrounding a sprocket 49 and sprocket teeth on a sleeve 50 rotatable on a stub shaft 52 secured in a plate 54 made fast to the frame of the machine. The sleeve 50 is rotated through a suitable driving and stopping mechanism constructed and arranged to cause the cam shaft 30 to be started under the control of an operator and to continue through a complete 360 rotation.

The construction of the tip engaging grippers 8 and I2 acting over the upper is best shown in Figs. 25, 26, 27 and 28 and the operation is such that the lace tip together with a bent over adjacent portion of the lace may be grasped securely without danger of injury to the tip or lace or possibility of slipping from the grasp of the gripper. The over grippers are formed at the ends of gripper supporting levers l6 and I8, respectively, and may be actuated to grasp or release the tips and bent over portions of a lace in any position of their supporting levers. The ends of the levers i5 and I8 have hooked terminal portions, the inner surfaces of which are V-shaped to form a tip receiving stationary jaw. The right side of the left-hand gripper 8 has a side opening 55 through which the flexible portion of the lace in the gripper may pass when reversed on the tip of the lace and presented to the gripper with its free end in position to be inserted within an eyelet. The right-hand gripper I2 is formed in a similar manner except for being bent in the opposite direction to provide an opening 56 for the flexible part of the lace on the left side.

To grasp the tips of the lace in the over grippers 8 and [2, the gripper supporting levers l6 and 18 have movable gripper bars 58 and 60, respectively, slidingly mounted at their forward ends in perforated lugs formed on the respective levers and at their rearward ends within U-shaped plates 62 secured to the levers. The forward ends of the bars 58 and 68 are enlarged in a vertical direction, forming serrated jaws to insure a firm grip on the tips engaged thereby. To prevent projection of a tip either when the lacing is originally inserted in the machine beyond the point where it cannot again be grasped at the opposite side of an upper by another gripper, the grippers 8, [2 have ledges 64 overlying the upper ends of the tips secured in the grippers and acting as abutments for the tips.

For actuating the over grippers 8 and I 2 to grasp and release the tips and bent over portions on a lace in timed relation to the operations of the other devices in the machine, the rearward ends of the sliding gripper bars 58 and 60 are upturned and are connected with springs 56 stretched between the upturned ends and pins on the respective gripper supporting levers. Loosely surrounding the upturned ends of the bars 58 and 50 are the perforated forward ends of links 58 and 76 of the respective gripper actuating mechanisms, which links are in turn connected with cam levers l2 and 14 having curved lower ends engaging suitably shaped cams 16 and 18 respectively. The cams 16 and [8 are so shaped that just before the machine is brought to rest, the over grippers 8 and I2 willbe held open ready to release the lace tips and the bent over flexible portions of the lace. At stopped position of the machine, the cams l6 and 18 are provided with recesses 80 for receiving the lower cam engaging ends of the cam levers so that the springs 65= may actuate the grippers to closed positions.

When inserting the tips of alace, the upwardly projectinghandle portions on the levers are actuated manually to open the overgrippe'rs, the grippers again being closed as soon as the levers are released by the operator. After inserting thetips of a lacing in the over grippers, the machine is started and all of the operations required in lacingthe upper are completed without further attention on the part of the operator.

The first movements of the over grippers 8, I2 after the tips of a lace are inserted are downwardly towards the shoe upper, the position of the upper and the spacings of thegrippers being such that the tips are inserted simultaneously in the pair of oppositely disposed eyelets at the toe end of the eyeletted upper edges. During the downward movements of the overgrippers 8 and I towards the upper, the under grippers are being moved upwardly to receive the tips inserted by the over grippers.

The construction of the tip engaging grippers III and I4 under the upper is best illustrated in Figs. 14 and 15. These under grippers are in the form of chucks each consisting of a centrally bored flat-sided spindle 82, the inner surface of which is grooved as by internal threading and one side of which is slotted to receive a tip clamping jaw 8d loosely supportedwon a pin 86 passing diametrically through a loose passage in the spindle and axpin 81 at right angles to the pin 86 extending into slots in the side of the spindle. The pin 86 acts not only to hold the jaw in place, but serves as a stop to prevent projection of a lace tip beyond a point Where it cannot readily be grasped at the. opposite side of the upper by an over gripper. The tip clamping jaw 84 has an inclined edge projecting beyond the outer surface of the spindle and is beveled at its upper end so as to facilitate entry of a lacing tip into the gripper. To close the jaw against the tip, the upper tapered end of the spindle is surrounded by a conical sleeve 88 pressed upwardly by a spring 90 coiled around the spindle and acting at its upper end against a shoulder on the sleeve and at its lower end against a washer 92. The spindles B2 of the under grippers are rotatably mounted in the-forwardends of gripper supporting levers 94 and 96, respectively, the washers 92 being urged by the spring 9!] against the upper surfaces of the levels. When the sleeves 88 are pressed upwardly, they force the clamping jaws 84 against the lacing tips in their respective grippers. The upper end of each sleeve is engaged by the perforated right angle portion of a downwardly extending plate 98, the lower end of which is pivotally connected with a chuck releasing arm I00 pivoted to a flange portion of one of the corresponding levers 94 or 96.

To hold the perforated portion of the plate 98 away from the tip clamping jaw 84 in each chuck when the chuck is open, an angular clip 91 is secured beneath the guideway 28 in the path of both plates. When the chucks are in tip releasing positions, the plate are pressed away from the jaws 84 by engaging the clip. The arrangement of the under grippers is such that the stationary jaws formed by the spindle are each located at the same side of a tip while the tip is being inserted in an eyelet as the stationary jaw of the opposite gripper in the pair, thus rendering certain the alignment of the tip with the grippers.

For actuating'the chuck releasing arm I89 to release the lace tips when the under gripper supporting levers 94 and 95 move upwardly towards the upper, there is fulcrumed on each arm I00 a cam lever I 92 (see Fig. 14) arranged with its upper end to act on the under surface of the corresponding gripper supporting lever 94 or and at its lower end to engage the cross bar portion of a U-shaped releasing frame I04 secured to a horizontal shaft I06 rotatable in a bracket I08 on the machineframe. The left end of the shaft I08, as illustrated in Fig. 2, has clamped to it a slotted arm I99 in the slot of which is adjustably secured a pivot screw IID connecting a link H2 with the arm I09. The link II2 also is connected to a follower arm I I l rotatable on a stud II Ii in proper relation to the cam shaft 39 to cause a roll on the arm to engage a cam II I mounted thereon and out in the proper configuration to cause the frame I04 to be rocked at suitable times, the cam levers forcing the chuck releasing arms I88 downwardly relatively to the gripper supporting lever to release the lacing tip held by the under grippers. To hold a roll on the follower arm I I4 against the cam I H, a spring H8 is stretched between the pivot screw III) and the machine frame. The lower ends of the levers I92 project rearwardly, as indicated in the drawings, and may be engaged by th crossbar portion of the frame I94 only when the arms I99 are raised so that the under grippers may be actuated to grasp and release the tips of a lace only when moved into a position as close as possible to the upper.

The grippers of each pair are actuated simultaneously towards and from the upper being laced.

The gripper levers for the left pair I6, 99 are mounted on separate horizontal shafts II9 and IN, respectively, the ends of which are secured in a rectangular carrier I22 rotatable about vertical pivot studs I24 secured in horizontal sides of the carrier (see Figs. 18 to 21 inclusive). The pivot studs lZ i project loosely into the frame 42 below the carrier and into a rectangular brace I26 above the carrier (see Figs. 18 and 20). The hubs of the levers I6 and 94 are elongated suinciently to fill the space between vertical sides of the carrier and are provided with gear segments I2! meshing with each other to cause the lovers to move together. Connected with the gripper lever I6 is an actuating link I28 having spherical sockets engaging ball ended studs I39 on the gripper lever and on a cam lever I32 fulcrumed on a shaft I34 fixed in the brace I26. The gripper levers of the right pair I8, 96 are mounted in a manner similar to the left pair on separate horizontal shafts I36 and I38. The shafts I35 and I38 have their ends secured in a rectangular carrier M9 which, in turn,'is rotatable about ver- The cam levers I32 and I48 are provided with rolls I58 engaging cams I52 and I54 on the shaft 38 (see Fig. 2'), the rolls being drawn against the cams by springs I56 and. I58 stretched between pins extending from the respective levers and the frame of the machine.

By this mechanism and manner of mounting the gripper levers, the pairs of grippers are separately movable towards and from the upper in any position of the respective carriers, while permitting swinging movement parallel to the 

